Toefl

WRITTEN EXPRESSION SUMMARY
A. PROBLEMS WITH SUBJECT /VERB AGREEMENT
I. Make verbs agree after prepositional phrases.
1. The key to the doors is in the drawer.

II. Make verbs agree after expressions of quantity.(all, most, some, half)
2. All of the books were interesting.
All of the book was interesting.

III. Make inverted verbs agree.
3. Behind the house were the bicycles.

IV.Write singular verbs after certain words (anybody, anyone, anything, everybody, everyone, everything, nobody, no one, nothing, somebody, someone, something, each(+noun), every(+noun)).
4. Everybody is going to the theater.

B. PROBLEMS WITH PARALLEL STRUCTURE.
V. Use parallel structure with coordinate conjunctions.(and, but, or). (Nouns with nouns, verbs same tense with verbs same tense,adjectives with adjectives, phrases with phrases, clauses with clauses, gerunds with gerunds, infinitives with infinitives).
5. You can stay home or go to the movies with us.

VI. Use parallel structure with paired conjunctions. (both..and, either..or, neither..nor, not only..but also).
6. The tickets are neither in my pocket nor in my purse.

VII. Use parallel structure with comparisons.(more…than, -er…than, less…than, as…as, the same…as, similar…to).
7. To be rich is better than to be poor.

C. PROBLEMS WITH COMPARATIVES AND SUPERLATIVES.
VIII. Form comparatives and superlatives correctly. (Follow the rules)
8. The fastest runner wins the race.

IX. Use comparatives and superlatives correctly. (The comparative is used to compare two equal things).
9. Harvard is probably the mostprestigious university in the United States.

X. Use double comparatives correctly.
10. The greater the experience, the higher the salary.

D. PROBLEMS WITH THE FORM OF THE VERBS.
XI. After HAVE, use the past participle.
11. Having eaten, she went to school.
She should have done the work.

XII. After BE, use the present participle or the past participle.
12. We are doing ourhomework.
The homework was done early.
XIII. After WILL, WOULD, or other modals, use the base form of the verb.
13. The students must take the exam.

E. PROBLEMS WITH THE USE OF THE VERB
XIV. Know when to use the past with the present.
14. He took the money when he wanted it.
He takes the money when he wants it.
I know that he took the money yesterday.

XV: USE HAVE ANDHAD CORRECTLY.
15. She had lived in Los Angeles for ten years when she moved to San Diego.
She has lived in Los Angeles for ten years.

XVI. Use the correct tense with time expressions.
16. We moved to New York in 1920.
We had left there by 1980.
She has worked very hard lately.

XVII: Use the correct tense with WILL and WOULD.
17. It is certain that he will graduate.It was certain that he would graduate.

F. PROBLEMS WITH PASSIVE VERBS.
XVIII: Use the correct form of the passive.
18. The project will be finished by Tim.

XIX: Recognize active and passive meanings.
19. We mailed the package at the post office.
The letter was mailed today before noon.

G. PROBLEMS WITH NOUNS.
XX. Use the correct singular or plural noun. (each, every,single, one, a /an, both, two, many, several, various)
20. On the table there were many dishes.
The lab assistant finished every test.

XXI. Distinguish countable and uncountable nouns. (many, a number of, few, fewer, much, an amount of, little, less).
21. He has seen many foreign films.
He didn´t have much fun at the movies.

XXII. Recognize irregular plurals of nouns.
22.Different criteria were used to evaluate the performers.

XXIII. Distinguish the person from the thing.
23. Ralph Nader is an authority (authorization would be wrong) in the field of consumer affairs.

H. PROBLEMS WITH PRONOUNS.
XXIV. Distinguish subject and object pronouns.
24. He and the girl are buying a present for us.

XXV. Distinguish possessive adjectives and pronouns.
25. They lent...